中國擬推智能手機監管法規 引業界擔憂

Regulations proposed by the Chinese government for the country's burgeoning smartphone market, already the largest in the world, are prompting concern from industry groups representing companies such as Apple Inc. and Google Inc.

中國政府針對本國迅速成長且已居世界第一的智能手機市場擬議的監管法規引起代表蘋果(Apple Inc.)、谷歌(Google Inc.)等公司的行業團體的擔憂。

The draft law, for which the public-comment period ends this weekend, is the beginning of China's effort to regulate the fast-growing Mobile-applications market and could force industry leaders to censor what applications they offer, build phones with China-mandated security requirements and include features that would help the government identify users.

《關於加強移動智能終端進網管理的通知》（徵求意見稿）公開徵求意見的時間即將於本週末結束。這標誌着中國開始採取措施監管快速成長的移動應用市場，並可能會強制要求業內領頭企業審查它們提供的應用程序，按中國安全規範生產手機，並加入有助於政府識別手機用戶的功能。

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology says the proposed rules are designed to protect the personal information of smartphone users. Chinese media have reported that the regulation would target malicious software─common on cheap, unbranded smartphones in China-that can steal users' personal information and incur charges by sending text messages.

中國工業和信息化部說，這些擬議中的規定是爲了保護智能手機用戶的個人信息。中國媒體曾報道，這部法規將打擊可能竊取用戶私人信息、通過發送短信產生費用的惡意軟件。這類軟件在中國價格便宜的無牌智能手機上相當常見。

Industry groups say the effect on companies would likely be higher costs and slower growth in one of the most important markets for electronics suppliers. Apple sold two million smartphones in China in the first quarter, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. sold 7.8 million and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. sold 1.5 million, according to Analysys International.

行業團體認爲，這些規定可能會造成企業成本增加，並使電子產品供應商在世界最重要的市場之一的增長速度放緩。據易觀國際(Analysys International)的數據，今年一季度蘋果在中國市場賣出智能手機200萬部，三星電子(Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)賣出780萬部，摩托羅拉移動公司(Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc.)賣出150萬部。

The size of China's total smartphone market has more than tripled in less than three years, with 31.2 million smartphone devices sold in the first quarter, compared with just 7.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2009, Analysys says.

不到三年時間，中國智能手機市場的總體規模就擴大了三倍還多。據易觀國際的數據，今年一季度中國市場智能手機銷量爲3,120萬部，相比之下2009年第四季度的銷量才720萬部。

The rapid adoption of new mobile devices and applications by Chinese consumers has outpaced authorities' ability to regulate them. China's mobile-apps market currently is largely unregulated.

中國消費者接納新手機和應用程序的速度已經超出了有關部門監管能力的提升速度。目前中國的移動應用市場基本上處於無監管狀態。

The proposed measures mandate that handset makers ensure that preloaded apps and those made available through other means meet with Chinese laws in order to be licensed to sell the phones in China. That could mean companies would be forced to remove applications deemed offensive or antigovernment by China from devices and app stores offered on phones.

徵求意見稿規定，手機生產商要獲得在中國市場出售手機的牌照，必須確保預裝的、或以其他方式提供用戶安裝的應用軟件遵守中國法律。這意味着企業將被迫從手機上、從手機應用商店中刪除被中國視爲有冒犯性或反政府的應用程序。

The proposed law also says new phones must be made in accordance with Chinese standards. If new standards put forth by the government-guided China Communications Standards Association are approved, the law could force handset makers to cooperate with China's government to identify customers and track their app use.

徵求意見稿還規定，新手機必須按中國標準生產。如果政府指導下的中國通信標準化協會(China Communications Standards Association)制定的新標準得到批准，擬議中的法規就有可能強制要求手機生產商配合中國政府識別用戶身份並跟蹤他們對應用軟件的使用。